FAIRFIELD — Police have arrested a Norridgewock man in connection with more than a dozen car burglaries that occurred during the summer of 2015.

The Fairfield Police Department processed DNA from the state’s crime laboratory, which gave authorities enough evidence to charge Kenneth Austin, 33, with three of the burglaries, Capt. Paul St. Amand said. Police arrested Austin on Sept. 14.

Fairfield police believe Austin committed all of the car burglaries, though they have enough evidence to charge him with only three of those, St. Amand said.

Over the course of four days, from Aug. 2 through Aug. 5, police received 18 reports of car burglaries in the area.

St. Amand said a string of car burglaries like this isn’t unusual to police. “Unfortunately, it’s something that we do expect,” he said. “They tend to go on short sprees.”

This past summer, Fairfield police received 16 reports of car burglaries from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29 in the downtown area on High, Kelley, Main, Savage and West streets. Police still are investigating those cases.

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Austin was charged with three car burglaries, all of which occurred late on Aug. 4, 2015, into the early morning of Aug. 5 on Martin Stream Road.

For one car burglary, Austin was charged with criminal mischief, a class D misdemeanor, for allegedly breaking the car’s window; burglary of a motor vehicle, a class C felony; and theft, a class E misdemeanor. Austin allegedly stole a black-and-white purse from the car, which was recovered, though the wallet was not.

Austin received the same charges for the second burglary, in which he allegedly didn’t take any money but did break the car’s window. Police also found a spot of blood on a receipt left in the car, St. Amand said, which was sent to the crime lab and linked to Austin.

For the third burglary, Austin was charged with theft, a class E misdemeanor, and burglary of a motor vehicle, a class D misdemeanor, because he didn’t break the car’s window. He stole $4 worth of change, police allege.

Police also found a bicycle that was used in the area with traces of Austin’s DNA on it, St. Amand said.

Austin already is incarcerated at Mountain View Correctional Center in Charleston. Records indicate that Austin was taken to Charleston after he was arrested and then taken to the Somerset County Jail on Nov. 1, 2015, St. Amand said. He previously lived on Erica Way in Norridgewock.

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According to the Somerset County Jail, Austin was brought in on four charges of motor vehicle burglary, three charges of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, two charges of criminal mischief, four charges of theft with prior offenses, four charges of violating a condition of release and one charge each of assault and burglary.

Austin is scheduled to appear Nov. 16 in Skowhegan District Court.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour


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